My spider baby my responsibility
by alltheSinnersandalltheSaints
Summary: Peter's had a rough life. Between having mad scientists for parents, getting bullied on a daily basis and keeping his identity as Spider-Man a secret it's no wonder he gets stressed. Luckily he's got Tony as his undeclared father figure.
1. Chapter 1 Tony's gonna love this

"This place looks pretty dicey," Scott eyed some of the figures spread throughout the restaurant from the safety of the back corner, "the guys at the table behind us are literally eating their steaks raw."

Not so discreetly, Clint looked to the other table. And the meat was barely cooked, blood dripping off the plates. He gagged then proceeded to pick at his own meal.

"Why the Hell did Stark recommend this place?" Bucky grumbled, checking Rhodey's watch. "I thought he'd be joining us?" He looked to the billionaire's friend for clarification.

Rhodey shrugged, "I don't know what to tell you. He never gave a definite yes or no about coming. Besides, being fashionably late was always a habit of Tony's."

"Fashionably." Clint rolled his eyes, his appetite gone from seeing a rat vanish through a crack in the wall. "There could at least be entertainment. Doesn't this place advertise live performances or something?"

As if on cue, the lights dimmed, leaving the scarcely lit building even darker and creepier, save the single spotlight near the bar. The heroes could barely make out the figure who stepped up to the microphone. It was a male; on the shorter side and was remarkably thin and despite the bad lighting, he seemed young. Peter, their youngest member, immediately came to mind.

"He look familiar to you gu-" Clint shushed Scott as the music started and the man began to sing.

And damn was he good. Bucky stilled, his eyebrows shooting up; this kid was better than anyone he'd ever heard, and he'd been listening to the radio constantly in order to catch up with the new age music and culture. None of them had heard the song before, but they were swept away in the strangers voice. Their emotions swaying to the music on their own accord.

Rhodey couldn't help but smile. "Damn he's good."

He sang a few more songs; each varying in speed, tone and vocal range. Not once did he falter, his voice smooth like honey yet slightly rough at the same time. After the sixth song, the lights brightened and the room erupted in applause.

"Holy fucking shit!"

Bucky was about to smack Clint for being so rude when he got a good look at the small figure. "Son of a bitch." It was Peter, New York's resident Spider-Man.

The kid was wearing a light grey sweater and jeans along with his ratty old sneakers, his curls falling loosely around his ears. Giving a curt nod to the applauding crowd he turned and left, slipping out the back exit.

Rhodey left money for their bill and the group quickly went to find and question their youngest team member. Once outside they spotted the teen, walking briskly along the sidewalk. The avengers kept their distance and kept to the shadows in hopes of not being picked up by Peter's spidey sense.

There was no wind blowing, but the January air stung, the temperature continued to drop, as the sun had set nearly three hours ago. Scott and Clint felt their paternal instincts rise at the prospect of such a young kid being out so late, alone, without a coat in one of the dingiest districts of New York. But they knew the kid could hold his own. He's more powerful than any other mutant or super they'd encountered, including Danvers and vision; not to mention what a genius he is.

"This seem odd to you guys?" Scott murmured, glancing around the dark and dingy neighborhood. Clint scuffed as he kicked a piece of trash out of his way. "I don't li-"

"Shut up and get back." Bucky simultaneously shoved all three men to the left and into a nearby alleyway, the darkness shrouding them, effectively hiding them from the approaching figure. The winter soldier peered around the grimy brick wall, his eyes locked on a large man, in ratty jeans and a stained hoodie that was standing a mere arms length away from Peter, who looked surprisingly lax despite the circumstances. But then again, he fought criminals and supervillains on a daily basis.

"Give me all ya money kid." His voice was scratchy and thick, as if it hadn't been used for a while. The thick scent of alcohol permeated his clothes which probably hadn't been washed in weeks. Peter cringed, his heightened senses picking up every foul scent. But still, he remained stoic, letting a quip fall from his lips without a thought.

"Sorry man," he drawled, stepping back slightly, stuffing his hands down into his pockets, "I didn't get paid today. Maybe you should consider, you know… getting a job yourself?"

"I'll just take ya money then, little freak." Stepping forward the mugger drew something from his pocket which glinted in the moonlight as it was turned towards the teen.

"A knife." Bucky seethed. No one threatens their kid. "I'll tear him apart." Rhodey, Scott and Clint had to hold Bucky back, and he could've broken free easily, would've too, had the tables not turned so quickly. Peter held up what appeared to be a credit card, but upon closer inspection it was in reality, a reverse Uno card.

Clint couldn't help but snicker as Peter held the card up for his attacker to see before shouting, "give me all of your money bitch!" The mugger, clearly confused, murmured 'What the hell' before Peter's fist made contact with his jaw and promptly fell unconscious, a heavy bruise guaranteed to sprout on the mans face within the hour. "Holy crap," Peter chuckled to himself as he pocketed the card, and webbed the man up against a nearby trash can, "I can't believe that worked twice." He smiled once more before taking off, running with inhuman speed and disappeared down the street.

The four avengers stood in shock, watching slack jawed as Peter vanished from sight. Clint couldn't help but snicker, nearly falling over as he continued to cackle and laugh.

"Come on guys. Gotta catch up to em." Bucky smirked, taking off in the same direction.

Rhodey just sighed, "Tony's gonna love this."

**My stories will follow the MCU timeline up to Civil war and Ragnarok but the avengers make up/get back together and Thor still has his hammer. I'm also pretending Infinity war and Endgame never happened! Spider-Man's story is also a little different.  
Also Tom Holland is my Spider-Man, obviously.**

**In this fic Peter's parents experimented on him since he was a baby because he was born with mutant genes. He got bitten by the spider when he was 5 after it escaped from his fathers lab. When he turned 12 the parkers destroyed all their research and left peter with his aunt and uncle. Spider-Man makes his first appearance after Ben is murdered, not long after does he join the avengers and forms a close bond with Tony Stark.**


	2. Chapter 2 Time well spent

Peter had expected to come home to an empty apartment, which is how he left it this morning. He planned on making a hot cup of tea - since there was nothing else to eat minus a sandwich from Delmares, which counted as his food supply for the following day- that helped him to warm up slightly. Then he'd put on a couple shirts, a sweatshirt, double up on sweatpants and slide under his duvet in hopes of getting a decent amount of sleep; more than three hours would be ideal. Then he'd get up the following morning around six and repeat.

Instead, he was greeted by a literal god whose thunderous voice echoed throughout the small apartment. He was wearing civilian clothes; jeans and a plain grey hoodie, the sleeves bulging under the strain of his muscular arms.

"Son of spiders!" Thor greeted happily, lifting peter off the ground into a bone crushing hug. "It is so good to see you my young friend. Loki and I have missed you."

"Th-thanks Thor." Peter squeaked, wriggling out of the hug. Once he was free and could breathe normally he took a big gulp of air. But he couldn't help the smile growing on his lips. "Still rockin that cool hair cut?"

"Aye," he ran his fingers over the short blond strands, "Valkyrie says I look less like a girl this way."

"Is he home?" Bruce stepped into the the small entryway and greeted Peter just as Thor had, though his enthusiasm was a bit more contained. "Hey Pete, it's great to see you."

"Um, uh… you too." Peter looked between the two, not bothering to hide his confusion. He went to the avengers tower three sometimes four times a week, he even slept over every other weekend. It wasn't like he hadn't seen Thor or Bruce recently, he had a lab day with Tony and dinner with the team not two days ago. "Is everything okay?"

"Of course Underoos." Peter's head snapped up towards the voice that brought forth a wide variety of feelings, the most prominent being love and safety. The genius, billionaire, philanthropist flashed him a reassuring smile and gently guided him to the living room where Steve, Sam and Natasha were sitting. Thor sat down beside his hammer, followed by Bruce. Their expressions brightened immediately when they saw their kid.

He was glad to see his team and with everyone in casual clothes it gave the experience an even more domestic feel.

But as usual, his mind thought up the worst scenarios as to why his mentor and father figure had decided to meet him, along with half the team. Maybe he'd done something wrong on patrol, or they thought he wasn't healthy enough to fight with them. Did they know about his parents or May? He started trembling at the thought.

Tony sat the kid down beside him on the weathered loveseat facing the others, he wrapped his arm around Peter's thin shoulders the moment he saw his distress, playing off the affection as casually as possible. Smiling when he leaned into the touch. "Just wanted to check in with our baby spider." He laughed as Peter's face turned pink at the nickname.

"M'not a baby." He huffed, relaxing slightly at the teasing. "Not to sound rude or anything… but… but um, why are you guys here? Do you need Spider-Man?"

"Can't we just check up on our little arachnid?" Natasha questioned, using her excellent spy skills to mask the hurt in her voice. "Peter Parker and Spider-Man are one in the same."

Peter wanted to protest. Spider-Man was strong and brave, a hero, someone people could count on. Peter Parker was a nobody, a skinny nerdy freak, and a burden to everyone. But the sincerity of her words and the honesty in her voice; it made him reconsider, albeit briefly.

The touching moment was interrupted by Bucky, who flung the door open so fast it put a dent in the wall. He frantically looked from the kitchenette to the living area, relief flooding him as his eyes fell on Peter.

"Holy shit kid!" He pulled him in for a hug which rivaled Thor's. "You are way too fast. Oh my God! You're also insane." The others were giving the soldier questioning glances and Peter shrunk under his teams gaze.

"Um… mind filling us in Buckaroo?" Tony pulled Peter back against him, his paternal instincts kicking in. "Anything that happens to my kid is my business." Peter flushed red, a warm feeling alighted within his chest when Tony called him his kid.

"This kid," Bucky rolled his eyes, turned to Steve and pointed like a tattling child. "this kid is just like you!" Steve had the nerve to look offended. Bucky just scuffed. "Don't look at me like that. You've got no sense of self preservation, neither do you Tony." The billionaire huffed but didn't deny it. "And you..." he turned back to Peter, "you're even worse!

"S-Sorry."

Bucky's anger diminished the moment Peter spoke, guilt and fear written across his features. God this kid was too pure.

He knelt down and put his flesh hand on Peter's bony knee. "I'm not mad kid. You're a great hero, but you've gotta take care of yourself. Kay?"

"Jerk!" Clint panted as he stumbled into the room, shortly followed by Scott and Rhodey whose leg braces started clicking. "We don't… have… enha… enhancements like you." All three men sprawled themselves out on the floor around the room, breathing heavily, their faces bright red from the exertion and the cold. "You're a bad ass Pete."

Tony huffed impatiently and turned towards Peter who shrunk back under his gaze. "Do enlighten me Underoos."

"Well… I was coming home… from wo-work…" Tony shot him a look that said we'll talk about that later but didn't interrupt. "And um, I um… I was walking home and uh this gu-guy tried-tried to mug m-me. But I knocked him out after um… uh I uh distracted him with an um… reverse Uno card."

"What!" Peter cringed at his tone, he hadn't meant to upset or worry him. "Christ… I-" Tony cut his rant short by pulling his kid tight against his chest. This kid was giving him so many grey hairs.

Peter instinctually flinched - but after a whole of five seconds - he melted into the embrace. He loved when Tony hugged him and played with his hair and right now he was doing both.

Gently, Tony pushed the kid away and held him at arm's length. "Kid, from the bottom of my heart, what the Hell."

"Big mood Mr. Stark," Peter nodded, a small smirk on his lips, "big mood."

"No. No, no and no." Tony tried to be stern but the kid just made his heart melt. "No internet or pop culture references." Peter nodded sheepishly, trying to surprise a yawn and failing. He'd been going nonstop since six that morning and was thoroughly exhausted. "Okay kiddo," he smiled and gently pulled peter to his feet and guided him to his room.

Tony couldn't believe how parental he was being - making sure the kid brushed his teeth and tucking him into bed - not that he was ashamed of it though. He never really said it, but he loved Peter as his own.

He was about to leave when a quiet "stay" caught his attention. Without a second thought he sat on the edge of the stiff mattress and began carding his fingers through the teenagers curly brown locks. The billionaire couldn't help but think he looked absolutely adorable.

And if he stayed there for a bit longer than he needed too, relishing in the time he got with his kid, he figured it was time well spent.


	3. Chapter 3 Shuteye

Once Tony was sure the kid was in a deep sleep he carefully removed himself from the stiff mattress of the twin bed, gently unfurling the thin fingers attached to his shirt. He took a moment to brush the stray curls from Peter's forehead, smiling fondly as he leaned into the touch. He quietly whispered, "sleep well kiddo, love you," before rejoining his team in the lounge.

The mechanic sat himself between Bruce and Rhodey on the loveseat, Natasha having claimed the chair with the others spread across the floor, forming a partial circle.

Bruce spoke first, sitting forward slightly and adjusting his glasses. He kept his voice low as not to interrupt Peter's much needed sleep. "Okay, now we need to start figuring things out. We've contacted the school, which gave us nothing. We talked to Peter's friends which knew nothing but shared our concerns." Green flashed within his eyes the more he spoke. "We're here in this ratty apartment which obviously looks like a child shouldn't live here." Tony squeezed his friends shoulder in an attempt to calm and reassure him. Bruce took a couple shaky breaths before continuing. "He's too pale and too thin Tony, even for him."

"What's he supposed to weigh?" Bucky asked, voice quivering despite his best attempts to control it. He knew Peter's metabolism was insanely fast; seven times faster than the average human male to be exact. The kid was and would always be very thin, his body type and powers guaranteed that. But this was pushing it even for him, he looked like a walking skeleton.

"He's five foot eight, but with his enhanced metabolism and lighter bone density being a part of his powers the mid to high nineties is Peter's average weight range. Sometimes a little higher if he eats what he's supposed to."

"There's nothing here to eat," Rhodey chimed in and gestured with his thumb towards the old clunky refrigerator, "unless you count alcohol." He huffed angrily. "The poor thing could barely hold himself upright. Yet he's going to school, on patrols, missions and has a job apparently. A job that's under the table… meaning illegal."

"And why the hell does he even have a job, which requires him to walk five blocks alone, at night?" Clint spat. "He's fifteen!"

"There's a possibility May isn't taking in enough of an income to support the two." Tony mused, "I talked to Peter numerous times about paying him; since he's a genius in the lab and is an avenger. I noticed a long time ago that his clothes were worn and not to mention way two big. But he always, very adamantly, said no. That money was sometimes a problem but they got by." He sighed, rubbing his forehead tiredly. "That never stopped me from worrying, or slipping May a couple hundred dollars a month."

"We're all worried." Steve agreed, hesitating slightly before continuing. "But upon being in the Parker's apartment... and getting a bit of information from Peter I… I'm wondering if there's more going on."

Tony's head shot up. Fear briefly crossed his face before he schooled his features into the usual calm and collected facade he was known for. "What-What do you mean? I know he gets bullied but he ha-"

"That's not what I mean Tony." He rubbed his chin as if in deep thought. "We always knew May and Peter were a low class family. But his health and appearance seemed to change drastically a few months back."

"Right after May found out about Spider-Man's real identity." Natasha nodded to Steve before turning to her disgruntled friend, voice gentle. "He's changed Tony, and not just physically. He's even more jumpy now, he's perpetually exhausted and I've seen him flinch if someone's not within his line of sight or simply gets too close."

There was no surprise in his voice, no accusing tone. "Are you suggesting May's abusing Peter?"

Tony saw the signs, the changes, he knew them first-hand and was horrified to see them in Peter. The jumpiness, the decline in health all the way to the sad, scared look in his beautiful brown eyes. But saying that sentence out loud felt wrong. And not just because abuse itself is an awful thing; but because Peter of all people, didn't deserve it.

"I'm not suggesting it," Natasha snapped, "I know she is! No one else lives in this apartment but Peter and his aunt. The symptoms of physical abuse are obvious and with Peter's already low self-esteem having taken a nosedive, I wouldn't doubt verbal abuse either. Not that any abuse is easy to deal with, but words tend to hurt more than any hit." The group of heroes sat in silence for a few moments, taking in the reality of the situation.

Eventually, Tony broke the silence, his declaration irrefutable. "I'm staying here with the kid and figuring out this mess. I already had Pepper send over some adoption papers, but if Peter's being abu- mistreated then this'll speed up the process. And I won't take no for an answer."

"We'll rotate," Steve gestured with his hand around the group, "a few of us will drop by to check in periodically." He locked eyes with his friend, a soft smile tugging the corners of his mouth upwards. "We love the kid and we'll help in anyway we can."

Tony couldn't help return the smile. "Thanks cap."

Clint lightly smacked Tony's arm, taking the moment to lift the mood and joke around. "You're a great dad Tony."

…..

It was decided that Tony, Bruce and Scott would stay while the others went back to the tower. Tony gave the two super soldiers a thousand dollars and sent them off to get groceries with strict instructions of getting a mix of healthy and heavily caloric foods. Once the two left, the three men turned the tv on low and attempted to relax, the stress of the day catching up to them.

"How's it going… between you and Pepper I mean?" Bruce sunk into the chair beside the billionaire. "You seem happier, less stressed."

"Yeah, I really am." He thought back to the conversation with his CEO. After years of being off and on, arguing then getting along, he'd decided to just end it permanently, and Pepper had readily agreed. Keeping their relationship professional had left a positive impact on Stark Industries, Pepper and his personal life. There was less drama and he no longer felt pressured to be someone he wasn't. It opened his schedule, allowing him to dedicate more time to his team and Peter, his family. He cared for Pepper dearly but the change was welcomed and having more time with the genius vigilante he considered his son was well worth it.

Peter woke up at six twenty, ten minutes before his alarm was set to go off. He reset his alarm then pulled the covers back over himself, not ready to pull his aching body from his warm bed. "Wait?" He was so confused. "I'm… not cold?"

It felt weird, not shivering for the first time in months. Once October rolled around and the temperature began to steadily drop, his spider DNA began to screw him over. Like most spiders, he found he was unable to thermoregulate. Even with two or three shirts, a sweatshirt and a jacket or blanket on top he still shivered.

May had also cut the heat back because money was tight, giving him no reprieve from the frigid winter months. The constant shivering left him fatigued and worn out.

Stress and malnutrition wasn't helping either. Not even one day after May began restricting his food did his weight start to drop, very quickly too. His enhanced metabolism was eating him from the inside out. His reflexes were dulled and his healing factor was suffering. The stab wound on his side from yesterday afternoon was proof of that. Still scabbed over and tender.

Huffing a sigh the young hero willed his thoughts to settle and his mind to clear so he could catch a few more minutes of shuteye.


	4. Chapter 4 fixing the tv was only the beg

Again Peter woke up to a warm room and cozy blankets. But this time the warmth was accompanied by the heavenly smell of bacon.

He knew May was still at work, or out drinking with friends, he was never sure which since she always seemed to be intoxicated. And even if she was home she never cooked. She hadn't even gotten groceries so there wasn't anything to make.

Silently, he jumped up onto the ceiling and began crawling from his room to the kitchen. Something he'd done ever since May had... changed. Not that it was hard or annoying, he loved crawling upside down, it was natural for him.

Once he got into the split living room he got a clear view of two super soldiers cooking breakfast, ant man dusting, the world's leading scientist in gamma radiation washing dishes and his mentor, billionaire, genius, philanthropist on the floor fixing the scrappy old TV.

Peter couldn't help but smile; he loved his team and being around them definitely made him happier. His smile immediately fell and his chest constricted, any good thoughts he had vanished. What would May do if she found out the avengers were here? She already hated him for being a mutant, so he doubted she'd be happy.

"What are you guys still doing here?" He huffed, making his presence known as he dropped from the ceiling, effectively scaring Scott who'd been sweeping nearby. None of them had changed their clothes, which meant they stayed the night.

"Thought we'd keep you company since you're our spider baby," Tony said, grinning at Peter's reaction to the nickname, his cheeks turning red, "plus May's out."

Bucky turned the oven down, passed the pancake mix to Steve and moved to join the conversation. "How you doin kid? Steve's making pancakes, your favorite." He ruffled the teens already messy curls.

"I, um… thanks. But y-you really don't ha-have to do that."

"Of course we don't have to," Tony rolled his eyes before slipping his hand to the nape of Peter's neck, subconsciously pulling him closer, "but we want to. When do I ever do things I don't wanna do kiddo?"

The small chuckle he got in response sent a warm sensation through his chest. "Never Mr. Stark."

"It's also a basic right to have food and a warm home." Bruce added, sitting down beside Scott, the apartment now spotless. He gave the boy a concerned look. "You need to take better care of yourself."

"Wait, you… you pa-paid to turn the heat back on?" Peter sputtered, hoping he didn't, but knowing he did. "You didn't ha-"

"I know I didn't have to." The billionaire cut him off. "I also didn't have to buy groceries or get the hot water back." He wrapped his arms around his protege' and self proclaimed son and pulled him close. "But I wanted to." Peter didn't hesitate to reciprocate, his slender arms hugging his father figure's waist.

Tony bit his tongue, holding back a curse at how much skinnier and bony the boy had become. But even with overly prominent ribs pressed into his chest and an angular chin tucked into the crook of his neck he didn't pull away, only squeezed his kid tighter.

"Now go shower." He pulled away and playfully shooed the boy back the way he came. "Breakfast will be ready when your done and don't worry about going to school today."

Peter stopped at the bathroom door, hand resting on the door knob. He looked back to his father figure, barely able to contain his tears with the flood of emotions swirling within his head. "Thank you Tony."

Tony really had to control his voice and keep his expression neutral. The kid just looked so damn happy and grateful. So much that it hurt. "No problem underoos."

….

The billionaire's smile fell quickly, the happiness Peter brought him dissipating as he left his arms. Once he was sure the boy was no longer focused on them rather than proper hygiene, did he return to business.

"Friday," he spoke to his phone, voice an octave lower because of Peter's enhanced senses. "Pull up specs on Spider-Man."

"Of course Boss." Friday, Tony's personal AI which was also connected to his Stark phone pulled up Peter's most recent body scan. Which was approximately ten minutes ago when he'd greeted his surprise guests.

He threw the specs from his phone onto a hologram for the the others to see. Bruce pushed his glasses up onto the bridge of his nose and examined the data beside the mechanic.

A low growl escaped Bruce, green crawling up his neck. He knew Peter was in poor health, it was obvious, but seeing how deprived his body was, every single injury and ailment written out in front of him; how this brilliant, selfless and amazing kid was suffering so much. It really pissed him off.

Tony instantly turned the other scientist away and maneuvered him to sit back down, taking a few moments for Bruce to calm down before having Friday read the list of Peter's injuries out loud. Her robotic voice which usually had an air of confidence and snark to it -based off of her creator- held none of that. She sounded concerned, or as concerned as an AI could be.

"Peter has a stab wound on the left side of his abdomen, his back is covered in multiple small lacerations and bruises all in various stages of healing with one fractured rib also on his left side. Even though I have accounted for Peter's abilities he is still severely underweight and malnourished. His body temperature is two degrees lower than it normally is, he is also suffering from exhaustion." She paused as if she knew her creator was aware but in a tough spot, "Boss, I suggest immediate medical attention."

He sighed, "Workin on it Fri, thanks," then pocketed his phone.

….

He'd always been pale and skinny, even before the spider bite. After he got bitten he lost even more weight, his cheek bones became more prominent while his ribs and hip bones jutted out, but that was normal for him. After getting closer to Tony and joining the avengers he'd had access to more food, but even with the seemingly excessive amount of calories he'd consume, his body never changed due to his enhanced metabolism. Though he managed to gain a bit more muscle, a fact of which he was very proud of.

Now, practically every bone in his body poked out beneath his nearly translucent skin and he'd lost every ounce of muscle he'd ever gained.

Quickly turning away from the bathroom mirror Peter eagerly hopped in the shower. He had warm water this time, and it was absolutely amazing! After thoroughly washing his hair and body he just stood under the gentle spray, letting the water soothe his aching muscles and relieve some of the tension. Only after a good forty five minutes did he force himself to get out. Slipping on a pair of sweats and science pun t-shirt he made his way back to the kitchen, his stomach growling loudly.

Tony discreetly watched the kid throughout breakfast. He ate less than he normally would but still consumed a lot more than Steve. But at least he was eating. They kept casual conversation, Bucky often switching back and forth from Russian to German then back to English. Peter - having learned German from the winter soldier and Russian from Natasha - kept up easily. Once they'd finished their meal and had everything cleaned up, did Tony continue his quest for answers.

"So Pete," he turned in his seat so he was facing the teen, "what's with all the booze?" Peter's expression fell and Tony was quick to try and lighten the mood. "Unless I'm really getting that old that I can't read without my glasses." He earned a small chuckle at that.

"It ain't yours right?" Clint feigned surprise, knowing full well Peter would never drink.

Peter gasps and in a hushed tone says "I'm underage."

"Peter," Scott can't help but smile that kid was just too pure, "you're such a good kid." Peter blushed like mad at the compliment, too humble to accept the praise but to polite to argue.

"The uh… the alcohol," he curled in on himself slightly as he addressed the initial question, his heart thumping rapidly in his chest, "it's May's. She says it um… helps her when she's stressed or upset." He huffed, cleary frustrated. "I just call that alcoholism."

Both Clint and Bucky barked out a laugh unused to Peter's snark when he isn't Spider-Man. Tony smiled too but continued his inquiry.

"Is she stressed a lot? Does she talk about it?"

"Ye- I mean I… shes just-just been different the past few months….. it-it's fine I-"

"Kid," rough calloused hands firmly gripped Peter's shoulders and gently turned him so the two we're facing each other, "when the team and I got here it was dirty, there was no hot water, no heat and no food. Save for alcohol." Peter averted his gaze. "You have a job, under the table. You know that's illegal right? You're working yourself to the bone and none of us are going to sit by and let that happen." His voice softened; going from the commanding air of someone who knows their right, to a loving and concerned parent. "We love ya kiddo. You know we're always here for you."

And that was it, Peter's carefully built nearly impenetrable walls crumbled. A raw sob tour it's way up his throat and he threw his arms around Tony who easily reciprocated, holding him protectively.

The other heroes seated themselves in the living room in an attempt to give the pair some privacy. The living room and kitchenette were basically one conjoined room but it was better than nothing. They each gave some form of reassurance as the left - be it a hair ruffle or a light pat on the back - so Peter knew they cared.

Tony rocked Peter back and forth as he cried, making no attempts to stop the kid from letting it all out. With each stuttered intake and broken sob Tony felt his heart break a little more. He never wanted to see Peter cry ever again.

After a good twenty minutes Peter's sobs ebbed slightly, eventually turning into little hiccups and shaky breaths, which was a relief. The harsh breathing would've only made him sick.

"I-Im sorry." Peter clung tighter to the mechanic as he spoke, it was barely above a whisper. "This-this is all my fault. I… I'm sorry T-Tony."

"Hey." Tony pulled back, keeping him tucked under one arm while making sure Peter could see his face. "None of this - he gestured around the room, to Peter then back to himself - none of this is your fault. Whatever mess you're in kiddo, whatever's going on between you and your aunt, it is not, and I repeat, it is not your fault." He squeezed Peter closer to his side, as if the space between them offended him. "I know right now you probably don't believe me. At least not completely. But we'll get there kiddo."

Peter eyes widened and when he spoke there was so much shock, but with a tint of hope. "We?"

Tony nodded, "I'd been sitting on this for awhile, not really sure what you'd think… but what do you say about coming to live with me in the tower? You'd have enough food, you could train with the team, and you'd still be able to go to that nerd school of yours. The team would love it." He rubbed his thumb over Peter's cheek, drawing the boys eyes up to his, "I already share custody of you, but I can become your legal guardian. That way I'd be able to keep you."

Peter sat, mouth agape, processing Tony's words but having a hard time convincing himself he'd heard correctly. He could live with his teammates, the people he already considered his family. And Tony wanted to take guardianship of him, he wanted him.

"Kid?" For the first time in a long time Tony was nervous, insanely nervous and it showed very clearly in his voice. What if Peter said no? What if he overstepped and offended the kid in some way? "Bud i-"

Peter cut him off with another bone crushing hug. This was different though; less desperate than the last hug, but they still held each other tightly, not wanting to let go.

"Is that a yes?" His voice pitched upwards on the last syllable, his nerves going nuts.

"Yes!" Peter laughed through his tears, "yes, yes thank you. Oh thank you Tony."

Tony hugged him impossibly tighter, relief and pure joy filling him. "It's my pleasure kid." The two broke apart after another quick squeeze. Tony brushed his thumbs across Peter's cheeks, removing the tears. God, he loved Peter, he'd do anything for his boy. And he'd start by giving him a well deserved break. "We can talk more later. One step at a time." He brushed some fluffy brown curls from Peter's face as he spoke. "You're staying home the rest of the week. And I- hey." He shot Peter a warning look when he went to protest. "You need a break. And it'll give me some time to settle everything. I just want you to be safe."

Peter sighed a grateful smile on his lips, "I know Tony, and I appreciate that."

"I'll call the school so don't worry about that."

"But I have work to-"

"On no. I'll call the place and speak to their manager. You're not working anymore kiddo."

Peter wanted to protest, he wanted to push through the pain and say he was fine. He'd done that all his life. But things were different now. He had people who cared for him, who could actually keep him safe and allowed him to be apart of their dangerous yet amazing family. So he conceded.

"So," the billionaire stood and gestured for peter to follow, "what're you going to do with your five day weekend?" Peter opened his mouth to respond but Tony quickly cut him off. "And don't say Spider man or homework. Because I know that's what you were gonna say." Peter snapped his jaw shut.

"Ugh, fine." He rolled his eyes in a rare display of teenage sass before heading into the living room and curling up on the sofa.

"What are you doing?"

"I'm going to watch tv." He huffed exasperatedly. "You don't want me to go out as Spider-Man and I'm done with studying, so why wouldn't I put the TV to good use." He pulled a blanket over himself and turned to his mentor, a smirk on his face. "Oh, and thanks for fixing it by the way. About time you put your skills to good use."

The adults erupted into a laughing fit, Bruce in a quieter fashion. Tony didn't fight the smile that grew on his lips, or the urge to be close to his boy. Sitting next to him and pulling the small body impossibly close. "Little smart ass."

Peter snuggled against Tony, head resting on the man's chest, a sigh of content leaving his lips. "I learned from the best."

"Damn straight."


	5. Chapter 5 opinions

It took Peter a whole of twenty minutes to fall asleep. With fingers running methodically through his hair, a warm blanket, his teammates casual chatter and Tony's free arm wrapped around him; it was all he could ask for. It was so domestic and cozy, so safe. Natasha joined the group just after peter passed out.

"I wanted to check in on my baby spider." She'd said, a motherly look in her eyes and a big smile on her lips once she caught sight of the sleeping vigilante.

Tony waited another hour to join the conversation, simply content to hold Peter and pet his curls, something they both enjoyed. He wasn't leaving here without Peter. No matter what it took, he was adopting him and wouldn't take no for an answer. He was so lost in his thoughts that he didn't notice the talking stop, or the vibrations coming deep within Peter's chest.

"Is… is he purring?" Natasha looked to Tony for an answer, to which he sputtered out an unintelligible 'huh'.

Scott sprung up and leaned down in front of Peter, his ear just an inch above his chest. "Holy shit! He is."

Tony swatted him away, slapping the back of his head, hard enough to hurt but not jolting enough to wake Peter who was very sensitive. He kept his expression neutral but found it incredibly endearing that Peter purred when he was content. Natasha even cooed at the sight. He really did have the cutest kid.

….

"What the fuck!"

Peter spun around so fast he almost gave himself whiplash. May stood in his doorway shaking, from anger or shock, he didn't know, probably both. He attempted to explain the suit, about the spider; stuttering out how he was helping people and that Tony had saved his life countless times. What worried him was how silent his aunt was. He'd expected her to cry, sob and scream, instead, she was eerily still.

"May? May please… I just- please say something!" He squeezed his mask in a white knuckle grip, heart pounding in his ears and any other words stuck in his throat. When May did speak, just a single word, his heart shattered.

"Ben." Her eyes overflowed with fresh tears and she took a step back. Peter could hear her heart racing, smelled the anger and fear radiating off her like a heavy perfume.

"Please-please listen." He reached for her but she flinched back as if his touch was poison. It hurt so much to see her - one of the only people he ever cared about, ever loved - shy away from him.

…..

"You're nothing but a freak of nature, a waste of space! Something like you should be in a lab." She waved around an empty wine bottle as she ranted and paced back and forth, unknowingly repeating the same cruel words his parents used to tell him. "Why would I feed the monster that killed my husband?"

Peter sat huddled in the corner of the kitchen, knees too his chest and back hunched, tears streaming down his cheeks. He dared not move or speak, keeping his eyes trained on the floor as his once sweet and loving aunt screamed her throat raw.

…..

He hadn't eaten for three days but it felt and looked like he hadn't eaten for months. It hurt to move, to cry, to think. May was screaming at him again. But while anger and grief consumed her, guilt and loneliness consumed Peter.

…..

"Kid? Peter… bud you gotta wake up it's okay." Tony pushed Peter off of his chest and desperately tried to wake him. They were all sitting quietly watching some random sitcom when Peter began to whimper and cry in his sleep, in a matter of seconds he began thrashing around. Tony's heart broke for the millionth time that day when peter whimpered 'please, please stop'. This time he shouted, "Peter!"

The boy in question startled awake with a choked scream. He looked around frantically, glazed eyes searching for a threat that wasn't there. After a few painful minutes - the only sound being Peter's ragged breathing - he'd calmed down enough that Tony felt it was safe to touch him. The mechanic made sure he could see his movements before pulling him back against his chest. Sobs racking the boys small frame once more.

No one dared speak or move, Natasha being the exception; sitting on the other side of Peter so he was between her and tony and wrapped her arms around him. She ran her fingers through his brown curls, her nails gently scratching his scalp as she hummed a Russian lullaby.

Peter calmed down quicker than Tony thought he would. It must be the music he surmised, it probably soothed him because of his heightened senses. He made a mental note to show Peter his mother's piano, possibly play for him, teach him maybe.

"Wanna talk about it?" Natasha asked once Peter stopped sniffing. He shook his head, not interested in dredging up more bad memories. His stomach rumbled loudly, breaking the tense atmosphere.

"Time for lunch spider baby." Tony chuckled. "Capsicle and frosty number two will make us all something. Right boys." Tony quirked an eyebrow as if daring the super soldiers to argue, but the smile on his face told them he was only joking around. Besides, Steve was a great cook and Bucky was a great baker and they both enjoyed cooking for the team.

Only half an hour later they had at least fifty grilled cheeses stacked on a plate. Peter could eat all of them in one sitting so they made a dozen more. They had just started eating when Clint joined them, greeting them loudly.

"How's it going- ooh food!" He grabbed a sandwich off the pile and took a huge bit. He draped a heated blanket he brought from the tower across Peter's shoulders then perched himself on one of the countertops to eat. "Hey kiddo. How you feeling?" He was beyond relieved to see the kid up and eating. "Natasha didn't poison you did she?"

Both Scott and Bruce choked on their drinks and all eyes went to the spy. She showed no sign of remorse but amusement. "That was one time Clint." She rolled her eyes, calmly sipping from her mug of tea. "You really need to let that go."

"I was paralyzed for two days!"

Surprisingly, it was Peter who laughed first. He covered up a snort and tried to surprise his giggles but failed. In any other situation he would've been mortified at the aspect of a friend being poisoned. But this was his life now, weirder things have happened. Natasha and Clint were experienced spies and who, like the rest of them, did dangerous things on a nearly daily basis. Plus Clint wasn't seriously hurt and the way they spoke so casually about the incident - going back and forth like it was a joke - made it that much funnier.

Peter's neighbors however, didn't think it was so funny. As soon as their laughter reached a certain level a voice yelled through the far wall in the living room. It was a man's voice, obviously speaking in Spanish. A woman's high pitched screeching soon joined it, and it became apparent they were arguing.

"I'm on it." Peter grumbled and stood beside the wall that was shared by the neighboring couple and the Parkers. He was completely relaxed, Tony noted, he'd obviously done this before, and New York, just like anywhere else really, was filled with loud assholes.

"¿Por qué no puedes arreglar tu mierda?" He banged his hand against the wall and began balling the couple out in fluent Spanish. "Déjalo si es un vago o simplemente déjalo si ella está durmiendo. Estas paredes son bastante delgadas y yo por una, siendo asexual, aunque creo que cualquiera estaría horrorizado, no aprecies tu sexo fuerte. Es asqueroso.!" (Why can't you just sort your shit out? Just dump him if he's a lazy ass or just dump her if she's sleeping around. These walls are pretty thin and I for one, being asexual, though I think anyone would be appalled, do not appreciate your loud sex. It's disgusting.) The neighbors grew silent and Peter rejoined the table to finish his last grilled cheese.

"I didn't know you spoke Spanish too." Tony broke the stunned silence, pride and amusement leaking into his voice. "Che cosa altre lingue voi conoscono?" (What other languages do you know?) He asked in Italian, knowing that was the kid's heritage. Another one of the many similarities between the two.

"Alemán, ruso, español e italiano. Código Morse y un poco de ASL si eso cuenta también" Peter responded in Italian and fidgeted with his hands, a faint blush creeping up his ears when Tony's smile grew wider. "Codice Morse e qualche ASL se quel conta anche." (German, Russian, Spanish and Italian. Morse code and some ASL if that counts too.)

"Okay," Clint looked between the two, "I have no idea what you guys are saying, or what just happened, but we can get back to that later. I do have a question for Pete though."

Peter tilted his head to the side and looked up at the archer curiously. Clint couldn't help but laugh, the kid looked like a puppy.

"Why have we never heard you sing?"

"Oh."

"You kicked ass back in that bar."

Steve shook his head, the expression on his face matching that of an exasperated parent. "Language."

"Come on Pete." Clint put his hands together and pouted. "Please. Pretty please."

"I'd like to hear another song." Bucky agreed.

"How 'bout it Underoos?" Tony didn't want to push but he was beyond curious. Rhodey had talked non stop about how amazing the kid's voice was. In all honesty he wasn't surprised; Peter's IQ was above two hundred and fifty, he created web shooters from scraps at the age of fourteen, had super powers and was the biggest nerd all wrapped up into one. Of course he'd have even more hidden talents.

"Um… I uh… no-not right now." He looked up to his mentor then quickly averted his gaze. "Sorry. I just… um-"

"Hey, don't worry bud." He was quick to stop Peter's rambling. The kid never wanted to disappoint anyone, especially him, it was clear as day. Even though he insisted that Peter wasn't a disappointment, that he was one of the brightest people in the world, it never seemed to get through Peter's low self esteem. "Any reason why?"

"The Daily Bugle trashes Spider-Man any chance they get and the kids at school bully Peter Parker. And while it hurts," he hugged his stomach, "I can shrug everything off, at least for the most part. But people like Ned and MJ, like you guys," he waved his hand towards the others, "I value you and what you think. Because an opinion is worthless unless you value the person it's coming from. I don't want to disappoint you or myself."

Damn, was the only word running through Tony's mind. This kid was so wise and mature. The others also held thoughtful expressions. If he wasn't mistaken Bruce looked… inspired, enlightened?

He brushed his thumb across Peter's pale cheek. "Damn kid, ya never cease to amaze me.


	6. Chapter 6 how long it takes

MJ called Friday morning. Peter barely managed to stutter out a hello before she was hounding him, masking her concern with sarcastic indifference.

"Where have you been loser? You've missed two decathlon practices and a test in history. Why haven't you called, or at least texted us?" There was a shuffling noise on the other end accompanied by an indignant huff from MJ.

"Hi man!" Peter could practically hear Ned's smile. He usually was a positive, happy person. So it was no surprise he was in a good mood. "Don't listen to MJ, you didn't miss much. Decathlon was uneventful. MJ just misses yo-"

"Think before you finish that sentence." MJ practically snarled. "Anyway," she continued as if nothing had happened, her voice sarcastic as usual, "we just wanted to to make sure you weren't dead in a ditch somewhere. Haven't seen Spider-Man's scrawny ass since Monday. Everything okay?"

She sounded worried. Peter didn't like to upset anyone, but knowing MJ cared sent a fuzzy feeling through his stomach. "Ye-yeah." He was a terrible liar, so he tried to be vague, give out less details to pick apart and analyze. "I'm just not feeling too great. Tony's helping me out. I'll be back soon."

"How soon?"

"Don't know. This coming week probably."

"Way to answer my question nerd." MJ was definitely rolling her eyes. "We gotta go, class is starting in a minute."

"By Peter." Ned called, voice muffled slightly.

"See ya later loser."

Peter laughed, he really loved his friends. "Bye guys." He hung up and set his phone on his battered desk. The surface was scratched, the wood chipping from years of use. He ran his fingers over the desk, thinking back on all the hours spent sitting there doing homework, hanging out with Ned and on occasion, spending time with his uncle Ben. Leaving the apartment would be bittersweet but a welcomed change.

"What are you doing here Stark? Peter, get out here now!"

Peter froze, unable to move or speak as tears threatened to fall. He used to love hearing his aunt sing and talk, when had her voice begun to terrify him so much? Knowing better than to disobey he slowly made his way to the living room. Stupid useless idiot, his mind screamed, playing on repeat. If he hadn't been so lost in his thoughts he would've heard May's car, her heart, her footsteps on the sidewalk, smelled her familiar scent. He would've known she was coming.

His spider sense flared as he entered the living room. May stood with her back to the door, arms crossed and a deep scowl etched into her features. Tony faced her, posture similar but more relaxed somehow, more confident. A shiver ran down Peter's spine. Even with jeans and a thick sweater it felt like the temperature dropped thirty degrees.

"Why aren't you in school?" She looked at her nephew accusingly. "You know the rules."

"I know bu-"

"But nothing." She scoffed, "I can't believe-"

"That's enough." Tony snapped, tone firm and commanding. "I called the school and kept Peter home." He took a step forward so he was in front of Peter slightly. Tony laid the sarcasm on thick, "he needs to rest. And from what I know, with my vast knowledge and being a living organism myself, he also needs food and to not be freezing in his own home. But I guess you just weren't aware."

May huffed, definitely perturbed but mostly unfazed. "You have no right to just waltz into my apartment or tell me how to take care of my nephew. He's mine, therefore I'll do what's necessary to keep him in line. Now leave." She pointed to the door, her hand shook, causing the bracelets on her wrist to jingle.

"Just-just go… please."

Tony barely heard the tiny plee, stopping as he prepared to advance, a quick tug on his sleeve drew his attention back to Peter - who looked terrified and heartbroken, tears pooling in his big doe eyes - who shook his head.

"Ki-"

"Go." He repeated, "you don't have evidence…. and-and I can't lose you." He let go of the billionaire sleeve and stepped back, head bowed in shame.

May smirked, "see Stark, he knows what's best." She stood herself right next to Peter and casually wrapped an arm around his shoulders. The cruel grin never leaving her face.

Tony felt so conflicted; torn between taking Peter now and suffering repercussions for not having solid evidence for the police, or waiting it out until May went too far. Either way, Peter suffered.

Tony opened the door, lingering just for a second to choke out, "I'm sorry bud," then left.

….

The water works started before he pulled away from the curb, his vision was so blurred he had to let Friday take the wheel so he wouldn't cause an accident. He'd never felt so useless, so helpless. He didn't want Peter to get hurt, but ironically enough, but the only way he could take Peter would be if May physically hurt him. It was so sick and twisted and he hated it.

Friday had barely parked the car before Tony was jumping out and heading up the elevator in the avengers private garage. He sprinted to one of his many labs, ignoring the confused looks of Steve and Sam - their sweat soaked clothes indicating they'd just worked out - and shooting an apology to Bruce after bumping into him in his haste.

"Hey baby girl, can you activate the spider spy cam for me?"

"Already done boss."

"You're my favorite girl Fri." He sat himself at his personal computer - which was reserved for very important files or projects only he had clearance for - and pulled up the live footage of the Spider spy cam, otherwise known as the SSC. The SSC was a small mechanical device that recorded audio and video as well as being able to move on its own accord. Tony designed it to lock onto Peter's voice and face so it could keep an eye on him during certain missions - usually undercover or stealth missions- as well as track him if need be. "This isn't a traditional mission… but it'll do the job." Tony murmured to himself as he scanned the live feed, a wave of relief washing over him - as minuscule as it was - to see Peter laying down in his room.

"Yo, Tony?" Sam pounded his fist on the bomb proof glass, Steve, Bruce and Natasha beside him.

Tony gave Friday the go ahead to let them in, he barely spared them a second glance in fear that something would change if he took his eyes off the screen.

"Wanna tell us what's going on?" Bruce peered over Tony's shoulder at the computer screen, well aware about the SSC. "You're using the cam to watch them?"

Natasha pushed both men out of the way to give herself more of a view. "None of us are with him?" Her skeptical gaze turned into a snarl, "why is no one with him," she turned her steely gaze on the mechanic, "did she come back?" Her voice dripped with venom, eyes ablaze with a fury none of the men had ever seen before and new to fear. She left the room without another word.

"That-That's not good." Bruce mumbled as he nervously fiddled with his glasses and stepped from foot to foot. "Do you think she'll murder Peter's aunt?"

He sounded concerned, but it wasn't for May. It would be incredibly bad if Natasha got caught on a murderous rampage. She was the best spy and assassin they knew, but anger clouds your judgment, makes you sloppy.

"No." Steve sighed. "She knows better than that."

"Besides," Tony gestured to his computer, "I'm gonna watch this screen until something happens. I don't care how long it takes."


	7. Chapter 7 You're a dad Mr Stark

"Peter honey." Miss. Marks called, waving the teen over with a gentle smile. "Come here."

The teen obliged, stopping his ascent to the stage and joined his boss in her office at the back of the restaurant. His eyes flitted across the room and its inhabitants, his spider sense calmly buzzing, he tucked his hands up into the sleeves of his hoodie. Out of habit, he scanned his surroundings, using his heightened senses to take in every little detail.

The office was small, with faded blue wallpaper that was peeling from age and moisture, the small window on the back wall was cracked and stained, and the floorboards screamed with each step. But it was brightly lit with multiple colorful paintings hung on every wall. The room had a soft, homey feel, just like Miss. Marks.

The middle aged woman always wore her frizzy blonde hair up in a loose ponytail or bun. Her clothes were always clean and usually in some shade of grey or blue, even her aprons were perfectly intact and on the cool side of the color spectrum. Her voice and smile were warm and inviting, much like how May's used to be.

The drab wooden door creaked and groaned as he shut it behind him. It needed to be replaced just like many other things in the restaurant.

"Come sit honey," she prompted, tapping her desk when Peter remained standing, shoulders slightly hunched as he played with his hands. She attempted a joke, "I won't bite you."

Peter gave a jerky nod and sat down on the chair across from her. He didn't mean to be rude or difficult, Miss. Marks was incredibly sweet and seemed to actually care about him. She always seemed to know when he was in a particularly bad mood or had had a rough day and as a result, would try to cheer him up. Her compassion was greatly appreciated by the young hero. But the last three days had been bad, very bad, and he couldn't help but feel tense, his spider sense constantly on alert. He knew Miss. Marls wouldn't hurt him but he refused to let his guard down.

Miss. Marks' eyes swept over Peter, forcing herself to remain calm and collected as she took note of his rumpled appearance. Not to mention how much he was shaking. In general, his clothes were a little worn and he always seemed a bit tired, but he was usually put together - at least somewhat. Not today though. His hair was a tangled greasy mess, his skin was so pale it was nearly grey and he refused to meet her gaze. It took all of her willpower not to teach across her desk and hug the poor kid.

"Did-did I d-do something wrong Miss. M-Marks?"

"Oh no." She quickly tried to reassure him, he sounded so scared. "No honey, you've done absolutely nothing wrong. I just wanted to check in. See how things were going. And how many times have I told you to call me Patty."

"Oh…." He trailed off, not knowing what to say since he didn't want to straight up like like he usually did. Luckily, Miss. Marks picked up on his hesitation.

"Tony Stark called me last week."

"Re-really?" He shifted uncomfortably, "that's cool."

"He asked about you." She continued. "Sounded very worried, wanted to know if I knew anything about you then gave me an earful about letting his kid work under the table. Then promptly hung up."

"I'm so-sorry about that I ju-"

"Don't apologise sweetie." Slowly, she reached out and took his hand in her own. "With anyone else, I'd find this entire situation… fairly odd. But with you," she smiled and squeezed Peter's hand, "it just seemed normal. There's more to you that meets the eye and it's obvious Mr. Stark sees that."

Peter ducked his head in an attempt to hide the blush creeping up his neck and onto his cheeks. Miss. Marks chuckled, relieved she could still help the boy smile.

"Now go home."

His head shot up, confusion written across his face. "But-but I still have four hour-"

"That doesn't matter." She stood up and led him to the door, her arm wrapped around his shoulders. "You've been here all day. And the only reason I allow you to work is because I know you need the money." Her voice softened, "I don't want you to get in trouble, you're such a good kid Peter."

He grinned up at her. "Thanks Miss. Mar- um uh Patty."

"It's no trouble honey." Playfully, she showed him out the door, a big smile playing on her lips. "Now go home, take a break and get yourself something to eat. You deserve it."

…..

The thought of getting home early, being able to clean up, eat and rest was quite appealing to Peter. To bad none of that was going to happen, well except for getting home four hours early, but that would only earn him a punishment from May.

It was only five o'clock on Monday so that meant after work traffic. Most people would be annoyed by that, but not Peter. Loud noises, traffic backed up three blocks, bustling people; that was New York. And as much as the constant input could overstimulate his heightened senses, he was used to it, the noise gave him a sense of normalcy. After work traffic also meant blending in and less of a chance of being mugged.

He was about to go up the steps of his apartment building when something caught his eye and stopped his heart. It was just simple graffiti, an everyday sight in the city, there was nothing special about the blocky yellow letters or scribbled words - unless you were a mutant.

The Mutant Management Organization, or MMO was a rogue government organization hell bent on eradicating any and all enhanced individuals. The avengers were digging up every bit of information they could find on the anti-mutant group - Natasha scoured the internet on a near daily basis and Peter kept an eye out on his patrols - but the information they gathered so far was rather limited; the MMO was a rogue organization made up of ex-government agents, black market hunters and dealers, mercenaries and regular civilians. They had little to no money and put all of their faith in scavenged alien weaponry left from the battle of New York.

Enhanced individuals and mutants were rare to begin with - Dr. Strange and Valkyrie had explained that this particular universe was not magically inclined and lacked supers unlike other parts of the multiverse - and over the course of the past year their numbers were steadily dropping. As the MMO acquired more members and more support, they became a bigger threat.

But what really pushed the avengers hate for the MMO was when they killed Wanda. They'd just finished stopping a small alien invasion that came from a wormhole in Rockefeller plaza, there were no casualties and little damage to the surrounding streets. They were getting ready to head back to the tower when Wanda collapsed, a dart sticking out of her net. She died less than a minute later.

Bruce and Helen Cho analyzed the contents of the dart and found it was an extremely powerful tranquilizer that would've even killed Steve. Peter recognized the compound of the sedative to belong to Kraven, a hunter of rare and exotic creatures.

Peter had multiple run ins with the hunter throughout his time as Spider-Man. The man was dead set on catching him - saying Spider-Man was the ultimate prize - and while that was slightly flattering it was also big problem. He'd been shot with almost a dozen of those darts once which stopped his heart. He spent three days in a comatose state as his metabolism burned through the sedatives and got his heart pumping again. His metabolism truly was insanely fast.

Breaking from his thoughts peter hurried into the building, anxious to get out of the cold and away from anything that had to do with the MMO. The elevator was broken - it never worked - so he took the stairs up to the seventh floor. As quietly as he could he unlocked the door and stepped into his apartment. The pungent scent of alcohol hit his nose the second he entered. Usually May's choice of poison was wine; it seemed like vodka was her pick today.

His spider sense flared sending a sharp tingling sensation up his neck, warning him to duck just as an empty wine bottle shattered where he was previously standing. The bottle shattered on impact, sending shards of glass everywhere, some hitting Peter. Blood dripped down his right cheek and along the right side of his neck staining his grey hoodie. The cuts weren't deep but they stung like Hell.

"What're y' doing here?" May screamed, her words slurred because she was inebriated. "You should be working so I don't have to slave for your pathetic ass. Like I 'aven't done enough for you?" She stomped over and grabbed Peter's hair, yanking him forward so he was just inches from her face. He made the mistake of crying out - something he was never supposed to do - and got a hard punch to the stomach. There was nothing there so it hurt even more. "Such a baby. Y'r parents didn't raise you t' be weak." She yanked his hair upwards so they were again face to face, "I thought you'd learned y'r lesson af'er ya got my husband killed.

"Please…" tears streamed down Peter's cheeks at the mention of his uncle. He knew May was grief stricken when Ben died, but couldn't she see he was grieving too? He was the one that held him as he bled out on the street.

"Quiet! You don't get to talk. Mutants like you don't deserve the right." Using his hair and light weight as leverage she threw him to the floor and onto all the broken glass.

He managed to turn himself so he landed on his left side, sparing his hands and chest. Broken pieces cut into his shoulder, upper arm and thigh, a large jagged piece stuck out of his side just above his hip bone. The strong scent of copper made him gag as blood trickled from the burning wounds.

…..

Tony was in his suit the before the alert went off. He saw peter come home, watched as he was cornered by his drunken aunt and felt white hot rage surge through him as she beat his kid. As a last minute thought he called another suit to follow. It was unlikely that May would go quietly and he had no intention of calling the police so they could mess things up and pussyfoot around the issue.

Within five minutes he'd gone from Manhattan to the Parkers apartment. Since he was already in the suit he obviously decided against taking the stairs; and instead decided to make his presence known in typical Stark fashion. So he and the Mark five flew straight threw May's bedroom window - which he didn't feel guilty about what so ever.

May actually had the nerve to look offended as Tony's metal assistant restrained her, pulling her arms behind her back - rougher than was strictly necessary - and keeping her pressed face first against the wall.

As much as Tony didn't want to, he bypassed the woman who'd caused his kid so much grief, only taking a second to order the suit to return to the tower with May and wait in room A One. He'd deal with her later. Right now he needed to be there for Peter.

"Pete?" Hesitantly, he approached the injured teen and knelt down in front of him.

The poor kid was huddled in the corner, shaking and crying silently. Tony froze when he realized how much blood was on the floor, the top of his jeans just below his hip was soaked in the red liquid.

Keeping his movements slow and his hands visible he continued to approach him, stopping short when peter whimpered and tried to push himself farther into the corner, away from him. "Hey bud… it's o-okay." He held his hands out in a gesture of surrender in hopes of calming the kid's nerves which were very clearly shot. "Its Tony," he lifted the faceplate to prove his point, forcing a smile, "I'm here to take you home. That sound good?"

Peter stared at the mechanic wearily, tears steadily pouring down his cheeks. It was clear he recognized Tony, but the clouded distant look in his eyes worried him. After a few moments the young vigilante nodded but remained in his spot on the dirty, red stained floor.

When it became clear he wasn't going to move, Tony scooted closer - his knees would be aching tomorrow but he couldn't find it in himself to care - opening his arms. "It'll be alright kiddo, I won't hurt you." Peter didn't need anymore prompting and within a second Tony had his arms full of crying teenager.

…..

Tony didn't want to carry Peter in the iron man suit, with its cold hard exterior; it was the fastest way to get back to the tower and the billionaire was anything but patient, especially when it came to getting his son what he needed. He lifted the faceplate of the suit to get a better look at the tiny, frail, injured hero in his arms. The smaller wounds looked like they were healing rather quickly despite Peter's malnourished state, some of the shallow cuts were already sealed, the new skin pink and fresh. Blood continued to slowly drip from his hip though, the jagged shard of glass still embedded inside.

"Hey Underoos. You gotta stay awake for me 'kay." He held the teen securely to his chest, weary of his injuries but unwilling to forfeit the comfort Peter desperately needed. "You're safe bud, everything's gonna be okay. Please stay awake." Reassurance after reassurance left his lips as he desperately tried to give the boy some relief as well as calm himself. "You're safe, you're safe, I'm here."

Peter laid his head on Tony's shoulder, his arms wrapped tightly around his neck. He used his sticking powers on instinct to ensure he wouldn't fall - even though he knew Tony would never let that happen - but also to make sure his mentor wouldn't leave. It might have been childish considering they were hundreds of feet in the air traveling at who knows how many miles an hour, but he felt safe with the avenger, the man he'd looked up to since he was just a little boy. And not just because he was a superhero or a billionaire or a genius; but because he stood up for what was right despite the challenges he faced or the backlash he got in return, because under the metal suit he was just a man who never let that stop him.

As he touched down on the landing pad Peter's eyes fluttered shut. The suit had barely disassembled from his body before he tore off through the tower. Friday - bless her intuitiveness - had alerted Bruce and Helen only seconds after the SSC alarm alerted them Peter was in danger.

"Boss, Dr. Banner and Dr. Cho are set up and ready in the medical wing. They would like you to bring peter to his personal room." Friday informed her creator as the elevator ascended.

"Thanks Fri," Tony didn't take his eyes off Peter, one hand cradling his head, "tell em we'll be down in a few seconds."

The elevator opened up in the medical wing, an entire floor dedicated to being a hospital space. Hero work was dangerous and more often than not someone got hurt. Whether it was fixing a broken bone, needing stitches or just grabbing an ice pack, it was comforting to have the supplies and equipment needed, not to mention doctors who were very qualified and knew exactly what to do.

Bruce was waiting for them with a gurney and a team of nurses. Despite knowing Peter would be safe and well taken care of, Tony was reluctant to let go of the child in his arms.

"We'll take care of him Tony. Don't worry." Bruce prompted, gently transferring peter from Tony's arms to the gurney and was immediately whisked away. "You can wait outside of his room and I'll keep you updated on his condition." He squeezed his friends shoulder in reassurance before dashing off to help Helen.

After a few minutes of just standing there, staring off at the wall, Tony made his way to the waiting area just outside of Peter's room. He collapsed onto one of the chairs since his trembling legs threatened to give out on him at any second.

He hated that peter had his own personal room in the med bay. The kid was incredibly skilled when it came to being Spider-Man, but he was so loyal and selfless that he often got hurt protecting the team or civilians. He would willingly give himself to save others which made Tony so proud, but also hurt him so much. Peter's metabolism doesn't allow any sedatives or pain meds to work, so he's had to go through stitches, bone setting and removing bullets or - in cases of him being stabbed - knives with nothing to ease the pain. It destroyed everyone so much to hear him crying or begging them to stop.

But on the other hand, he was grateful a room dedicated just to him. It provided privacy and was more comfortable than the usual hospital room. Peter's bed for instance, was larger than the average hospital bed because when he's tired or in pain Peter becomes an octopus in his search for comfort. He will latch onto one of his teammates - usually Tony - and won't let go. His spider instincts kick in and he uses his sticking powers so the human turned teddy bear quite literally can't get him off. It was super cute if he was being honest. The team thought so too, though few of them admitted it and Sam often teased him for it.

"Tony," Clint called as he and Natasha sprinted down the hallway to join the billionaire, "what happened? Friday said you and Peter were here."

"I… he's-hes

"Where's Peter?" Bucky snapped. "What the Hell happened?" The ex-assassin, along with Steve, Bucky and Rhodey barreled down the hall much like the two spies previously had. Rhodey was slower than the others, his leg braces clicking as he did his best to hurry. Friday had informed the team of Peter's condition and his aunt being in one of their primary interrogation rooms, A One.

Tony ignored everyone in favor of staring at his hands which were coated in blood, Peter's blood.

"All of ya," Rhodey snapped catching the flustered heroes attention, "sit down and shut the Hell up." The group did as they were told and moved to various chairs around the room. "It's okay Tones?" Rhodey attempted to console him, gently rubbing his best friends back, "you got Pete here and you know Bruce and Helen are more than capable. We'll take care of everything else." He shared a brief nod with Natasha, who had a devilish smile on her face. She rose from her chair with such grace and poise, her eyes cold and dark. Everyone else followed her lead, faces stoic and fists clenched.

"How are you feeling Tones?" Rhodey asked once they were alone.

"What do you think?" Tony scuffed. "My kid's unconscious and bloody, because his aunt enjoyed using him as a punching bag." He didn't mean to be snippy or rude but he was so angry. Angry at May for being so ignorant and cruel, angry at the world for putting such a sweet and perfect kid through so much pain. But above all, he was angry at himself for not noticing sooner and actually doing something to stop the abuse, to save Peter.

Nearly an hour passed in tense silence. The only sound being Tony's quiet sobs and Friday's updates. Rhodey only stepped out once to speak to Clint and Steve.

"I don't mean to shove this you man," Rhodey sighed heavily and ran a hand down his face, "but you need to go down to the police station and get those adoption papers signed. It didn't take long for May to cave." Tony scuffed. "Putting it lightly, the team ripped her a new one. They had to take turns switching out so they wouldn't deck her." He paused before continuing, "Natasha and Clint are already at the Queens police station along with your lawyer. May's there too… she's agreed to give you full custody. They only need your signature."

"I-" his voice broke, "I can't just leave him here." He did not want peter to wake up and be completely alone in a hospital room. They'd made that mistake once before when Peter had passed out from the pain of four gunshot wounds. No pain meds worked on him so he woke up to and uncomfortable amount of pain and completely lost it when a nurse came to check on him.

"Bruce and I will be here." He assured. "Fly down in the suite, sign the adoption papers then come right back. Natasha insisted she'd stay at the station and make sure 'you know who' is taken care of.

Out of all the things he wanted to do right now, leaving Peter was not one of them. But it'd make the transition much easier if he signed the papers now. And he was positive he could make it back before peter woke up.

"Okay." Shakily, he got to his feet, took a deep breath and nodded. "I'll be right back."

…..

Natasha, Clint and Mr. Lance, Tony's lawyer we're waiting in the sheriff's office. May was seated in the corner of the room, her hands cuffed to the armrests. The woman looked absolutely terrified, her entire body trembled and her hands shook uncontrollably. She kept shooting worried looks in Natasha's direction but would jerk her head away the moment the spy glanced her way. Tony felt nothing but satisfaction at the woman's obvious discomfort.

"Hello Mr. Stark. My name is Miss. Gordon, chief of police." They shook hands briefly before she directed his attention towards the forms spread out across her desk. "Mr. Lance has filled me in on the basics of the situation and Mrs. Parker," she gestured to the woman cowering in the corner, "has confessed to her acts of child abuse and neglect of her nephew Peter Parker." She must have noticed the billionaire tense and was quick to continue. "I assure you that no one other than myself and anyone in this room knows of your intent on adopting and I have absolutely no intent on spreading the word. So your secret is safe with me."

"Thank you." Tony's shoulders sagged in relief. "What about-" he nodded towards the cuffed woman.

"She is going to be kept in solitary until she is sentenced. Once we have a verdict I will personally make sure no information is leaked."

Once again, Tony nodded and expressed his thanks, truly grateful for Gordon and her support. He moved over and sat beside his lawyer who instructed him on what to sign.

"Sign here to gain full custody and here to acknowledge that you are willing to take full responsibility of a minor." He placed the last form in front of the billionaire, "one last signature is required for adoption. You have already been approved to house a child and with Mr. Parkers previous guardian being unfit to care for him you immediately gain legal and adoptive rights of Peter Benjamin Parker."

A rush of satisfaction, excitement and relief washed over Tony as he sighed his name one final time. It was done.

Mr. Lance shook the billionaire's hand, "congratulations Mr. Stark, you are now a father."

…..

Peter awoke to a dull throbbing pain emanating from his hip. Gauze was wrapped taut around his shoulder and lower abdomen with thicker bandages covering his throbbing hip. A heart monitor was attached to his finger and an IV was stuck in the back of his left hand. There wasn't any blood; just a soft white blanket, beige walls and the low steady beeping of machinery. The room - which he recognized as his own in the med bay - didn't scream sterile hospital, which he was immensely grateful for.

He tried to shift into a comfier position but couldn't because of the body laying next to him. Tony was completely out, snoring softly against Peter's un-injured shoulder, one hand clinging to his hospital gown. Not wanting to disrupt his mentors much needed sleep, he just settled back down. The contact was comforting and he accepted it eagerly.

"Kак ты себя чувствуешь, дорогой?" (How do you feel sweetheart) Natasha whispered from her seat beside the bed, there was nothing but love and concern in her voice. She ran her fingers through his now clean curls.

"Намного лучше." (Much better) The motion was soothing and he leaned into her touch.

"That's-that's good." Her voice cracked and her lower lip began trembling, the tears followed right after. "Мне очень жаль, мой милый ребенок." (I'm sorry my sweet child) For the first time in years, the ever stoic spy allowed herself to break down. "I can't have children." She whimpered, gently taking Peter's small hand in her own. "Having children was never a goal of mine," she shook her head, "but then you swung, quite literally, into our lives. You're my little boy Pete. Ты мой малыш, паучок." (You're my baby Spider)

"You know… I can't have kids either," he said, squeezing her hand as they made eye contact, "My body, everything about me… is completely radioactive. So I can't have kids, it just wouldn't work. But I would never bring a kid into this life, biological or not. Too dangerous… ya know. I mean, you drink a cup of tea and all of a sudden you're paralyzed." Natasha giggled at that, ruffling Peter's curls as he smiled. "And ya know what?"

She pursed her lips and looked at him curiously. "What?"

"Я рад, что ты моя мамочка-паучиха."(I'm glad I have you as my momma spider)

Natasha didn't say anything, no words could describe how thankful and loved she felt, she just pulled Peter into her chest and held him in a loose hug, slowly running her fingers through his hair. The two spider themed avengers held each other as they cried tears of joy. They only released each other when Tony began to stir.

"Увидимсяпозже,мой малыш-паучок." (I'll see you later my baby spider) Natasha whispered as she got up to leave, placing a soft kiss to Peter's temple. Peter closed his eyes, a smile gracing his lips.

"Окей, мамочка." (Okay momma)

…..

Tony became fully conscious moments after Natasha's exit. He wasn't groggy or sloppy in his movements - like most sleep deprived people would be. He shot up upon seeing Peter awake and coherent. "Hey Underoos. How are you feeling?" Parental instincts took over as he made sure Peter wasn't uncomfortable in any way. "Does anything hurt? Are you hungry, or warm enough?" He sat up and looked the teen up and down urgently, "you want water? I can get another pillow or-"

"Tony." Peter laughed. "I'm fine. My hips a little sore but other than that… I'm okay."

The billionaire let out a relieved sigh, his shoulders sagging. "Good! That-that's good. I uh… I um want you to know that-that your staying here. Okay? You don't gotta worry about your aunt any more."

"Okay." Peter's voice grew thick with tears, exhaustion pulling him down. "Thank you. Really, Tony… I-I can't tell you how mu-much this means to me."

"No need to thank me kiddo." He helped lay Peter back down and pulled the cotton blanket up to his chin. "I'd do anything for you." He caressed Peter's face in his calloused hands, rubbing his thumbs across the smooth skin beneath his beautiful brown eyes. "I love you kiddo… so much."

Peter leaned into the comforting touch, his eyes falling shut as sleep drew him in. But before he allowed himself to fully succumb to sleep, he grabbed Tony's hand and mumbled out a quiet 'stay'. And of course the older average obliged. Carefully, so as not to jostle the injured teen, he laid back against the mattress and draped his arm over the boy's thin chest. Without a second thought, Peter tucked himself against his father figures chest, listening to his heart beat and clinging tightly to the worn AC/DC shirt.

"I love you Peter. You'll always be safe with me." Tony affirmed, placing a kiss to the brown curls tickling his chin. Peter hummed and snuggled impossibly closer in response, a smile on his lips as he finally allowed himself to rest.


End file.
